A meaningless exhibition game between powerhouse Indiana and NAIA Indiana Wesleyan did produce one meaningful storyline.

Maurice Creek, who has played just 18 games since December 2009 as a result of three severe injuries, shed his warmups and checked into the game early in the first half to a standing ovation and the sound of the Indiana student section chanting his name. Creek then unexpectedly showed his battered legs still have some spring left in them, scoring a team-high 12 points in 15 minutes as Indiana pulled away for an 86-57 win.

There were times during the game when the magnitude of the moment appeared to hit Creek. Even after the game, he was still emotional, especially when talking with reporters about the warm reception the crowd gave him.

"It was a great, great, great reaction," Creek said during the postgame press conference. "Standing ovation? That's big time. That's love. I can't do nothing but thank them. I appreciate everyone who stood up for me."

[Related: More on Indiana basketball at Peegs.com]

Creek is still a long way from carving out a spot in top-ranked Indiana's rotation once the season starts, but just returning to the team is an accomplishment after what he has endured the past few years.

In December 2009, Creek fractured his left kneecap, costing him the rest of his freshman season. Then in January 2011, Creek suffered a stress fracture in the patella of his other knee, ending his season early once again. And worst of all, Creek tore his left Achilles walking upstairs to his apartment in October 2011 days before the start of practice last season.

Each time Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College visits John Brown University for the annual TP game, the Saints have one goal in mind.

They want to delay one of college basketball's most beloved traditions for as long as possible.

John Brown guard Abel Galliguez thwarted those efforts a mere 34 seconds into Thursday night's game when he drained a top-of-the-key 3-pointer for the first points of the game. The NAIA school's boisterous sellout crowd responded by letting the Charmin fly from all corners of the gym, blanketing the floor with toilet paper and forcing players from both teams to run for cover.

[Also: Indiana crowd welcomes Maurice Creek with touching ovation]

As I wrote about last November, the TP game has evolved into the most anticipated event of the year at John Brown University. Fans covered head to toe in blue and gold annually hurl several thousand rolls of toilet paper once the Golden Eagles score their first basket of their home schedule, a celebration that results

Staats Battle (via @rpurvis_0) and Richard Howell (US Presswire)

In addition to boasting one of the most memorable names in college basketball, NC State walk-on guard Staats Battle also had one of the sport's best Halloween costumes.

On the right in the above photo is NC State forward Richard Howell from last March before he'd fully grown out his shaggy black beard. On the left is Battle's impersonation of Howell complete with a replica beard, a No. 1 practice jersey and magic marker tattoos.

Give Battle an A-minus for his costume, but one detail could have bumped his letter grade up to an A-plus. How great would it have been if Battle had a friend dress as a referee and whistle the notoriously foul-prone "Howell" every few minutes at the Halloween party?

Of course, as good as Battle's costume is, it may not have been the best from an NC State athlete Wednesday night.

NC State quarterback Mike Glennon dressed as football coach Tom O'Brien. From the slacks, to the shades, to the headset, it was spot-on.

(Photo via Indiana senior Ben Kessler)

The best costume at one of Bloomington's most popular sports bars Wednesday night had a college hoops theme to it.

Indiana senior Ben Kessler and friends Andrew Josephs, Michael Friedman, Jedd Horn, Mitch Glazer and Vad Slezberg purchased red felt, white fabric paint and stencils on Wednesday so they could dress as the championship banners hanging at Assembly Hall. Five of them represented Indiana's past national titles. The sixth dressed as the one the preseason No. 1 Hoosiers hope to capture in 2013.

When Kessler and his friends walked to Kilroy's Sports Bar in Bloomington, drivers who passed them honked their horns in support. They received the loudest ovation of any of the contestants in the the costume contest at Kilroy's, earning them first prize — $500 and free cover for life.

"It was an amazing night for us," Kessler said. "We didn't want to spend that much money. We spent like $12 each and we won $500. I think that's a good investment."

Kessler and his friends are longtime Indiana basketball fans, so they're very much looking forward to a season that should be the culmination of the Hoosiers' return to national relevance. Even though Halloween is over, Kessler thinks he and his friends may be able to get some more value out of their memorable costumes.

"We're definitely going to wear it to one of the games this season," he said. "Maybe we'll save it for the North Carolina game or something."

Marcus Smart (AP)

When guard Marcus Smart spurned the likes of North Carolina, Kansas and Texas to commit to middling Oklahoma State last Autumn, the top 10 recruit admits he caught even those closest to him by surprise.

Friends and family congratulated him on his decision, then asked why he didn't choose an established power. Fans on Twitter weren't nearly as polite.

"I've heard it all," Smart said with a chuckle. "I'd get on Twitter and people were saying I was dumb. I was an idiot. What am I thinking? That's why I'm never going to succeed. That definitely gives me motivation. When people say stuff like that, it gives me an extra kick to go out there and prove them wrong."

Smart's decision to play for Oklahoma State could be a turning point for a Cowboys program that lost 18 games last season and hasn't won an NCAA tournament game since 2009. Travis Ford may need to get Oklahoma State to the NCAA tournament this season to win over an already restless fan base, but Smart's arrival and the return of several key players gives the fifth-year coach coach a realistic chance.

Even though Smart has the size to play on the wing at 6-foot-4, Ford will instead have him start at point guard because of his court vision, leadership skills and ability to create mismatches. He'll be surrounded by plenty of perimeter talent including guard Markel Brown, forward J.P. Olukemi and talented 6-foot-7 Le'Bryan Nash, a former McDonald's All-American looking to build on an inconsistent freshman season in which he put up respectable numbers but only showed flashes of promise.

What has Ford convinced Smart can turn that nucleus into a winning team is his new point guard's character and competitiveness.

J.P Olukemi (Getty Images)

Had the NCAA ruled J.P. Olukemi ineligible for the second half of the 2012-13 season mere weeks after teammate Brian Williams' season-ending wrist injury, it would have been a damaging one-two punch to the gut for Oklahoma State.

Thankfully for the Cowboys, the NCAA showed lenience Wednesday evening, granting Olukemi's appeal for a waiver enabling him to play a full final season at Oklahoma State.

At issue for Olukemi was a mistake he made five years ago before he enrolled in college.

During his lone year at Stoneridge Preparatory School in Simi Valley, Calif., the school's team was shut down and Olukemi's coaches instructed him to attend classes at a junior college to remain eligible. That started his college eligibility clock, which gives players only five years to complete their four seasons of basketball.

By the letter of that law, Olukemi's five years would have run out at the end of the fall semester in late December since he'd already taken a redshirt year as a result of injury. The NCAA deserves credit for making a sensible ruling in the best interest of Olukemi's future by allowing him to play a full season as a fifth-year senior.

"We would like to thank the NCAA for its due diligence in this matter," Cowboys coach Travis Ford said in a statement. "Looking out for the student-athlete and their best interests should be what's most important, and it certainly showed in this decision."

Kyle Anderson (AP)At least one of UCLA's two most prized freshmen apparently will be in uniform when the Bruins open newly renovated Pauley Pavilion next Friday.

Kyle Anderson, Rivals.com's No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2012, has been cleared to play by the NCAA, members of his family told the Los Angeles Times Wednesday morning. UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero confirmed the report via statement Wednesday afternoon.

"UCLA was informed by the NCAA earlier today that freshman guard Kyle Anderson is eligible to play this season, and that the NCAA has found no evidence to substantiate claims of violations in his case," Guerrero said. "I am grateful to all those who were involved in the process. We are looking forward to opening our season on November 9 against Indiana State at New Pauley Pavilion."

The only surprise regarding the NCAA's decision on Anderson was that it took this long. Those close to the UCLA program have long been confident Anderson would be cleared even as the NCAA looked into his relationship with Thad Foucher, an agent for a firm founded by UCLA alum and donor Casey Wasserman.

There's less confidence regarding the status of Shabazz Muhammad, the other top freshman under investigation by the NCAA as a result of potential amateurism issues. No timetable has been released for when the NCAA expects to make a decision on the eligibility of Muhammad, who is also nursing a shoulder injury that will keep him from practicing or playing until at least the end of next week.

In response to the Anderson news, Muhammad tweeted, "Hopefully I'm next so we can get this season going !!!!"

Pierre Jackson and Baylor will try to avenge their 2012 NCAA tournament loss to Kentucky (Getty Images)

The Dagger's two-day Big 12 preview continues with a look at the conference's 15 most intriguing non-conference matchups next season.

1. Kansas vs. Michigan State, Nov. 13 (Atlanta)

Comment: It will be overshadowed a bit by the Duke-Kentucky matchup in the second half of the Champions Classic doubleheader, but this showdown between Kansas and Michigan State certainly won't be lacking for star power. The Spartans return most of their top players besides Draymond Green from last year's Sweet 16 team. The Jayhawks bring back three starters from last year's national runner-ups and add promising newcomers Perry Ellis and Ben McLemore.

2. Baylor at Kentucky, Dec. 1

Comment: The last time Baylor met Kentucky, the Bears fell behind by 20 points at halftime en route to an 82-70 Elite Eight loss last March. Good news for the Bears: Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist have moved onto the NBA. Bad news for the Bears: A handful of very talented freshmen have arrived at Kentucky to replace them.

3. Kansas at Ohio State, Dec. 22

Comment: The rematch of last year's national semifinal won by the Jayhawks will feature a pair of potential top 10 teams. Point guard Aaron Craft and high-scoring DeShaun Thomas return to lead an Ohio State team that surely will be eager for revenge on its home floor. The Buckeyes will have to do a better job against Travis Releford, whose 15 points and eight rebounds were key to the Jayhawks' come-from-behind win last March.

4. North Carolina at Texas, Dec. 19

Comment: On a Texas schedule loaded with marquee opponents and challenging games, this visit from the Tar Heels is probably the most intriguing. Four NBA first-round picks have moved on from Chapel Hill, but North Carolina will reload around forward James Michael-McAdoo, sharpshooter Reggie Bullock and freshman point guard Marcus Paige.